At 97 years old, Lorene Wilson still walks a mile every day. She exercises twice a week, volunteers at her local museum, enjoys game nights with neighbors and rarely slows down.
Without the gift of sight, she says, none of it would be possible.
"Without Eversight, I would be in a wheelchair and blind like my great-grandmother," Lorene said.
For nearly three decades, Lorene and her daughter Jan have shared that message with audiences across Michigan. As Eversight Ambassadors, they have spoken at Lions Clubs, Donate Life events and community gatherings, helping thousands understand the life-changing impact of eye donation.
Their advocacy recently earned them recognition as Distinguished Volunteers by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Detroit Chapter. But long before receiving the award, they were simply a mother and daughter whose lives had been forever changed by the generosity of people they would never meet.
Their family's story would eventually come to embody the full cycle of sight: receiving the gift of sight through cornea transplantation, making the decision to donate a loved one's tissue for research and helping inspire others to say yes to donation.
A family's journey begins
Vision loss has touched multiple generations of the Wilson family.
Lorene's great-grandmother and grandmother both lost their sight, though doctors at the time couldn't explain why. In her adulthood, Lorene began experiencing the same symptoms and was diagnosed with Fuchs' dystrophy, a progressive, inherited disease that causes the cornea to gradually become cloudy.
In 1997, Lorene was legally blind in her left eye and nearly blind in the other.
“I was put on a waiting list for a cornea transplant,” Lorene said. “I was on call 24/7 so when a cornea became available, I would immediately go to Beaumont Hospital. It was a very successful transplant and one year later when I needed a cornea transplant in my right eye, I just made an appointment.”
Because there is no cure for Fuchs’ dystrophy, Lorene’s vision began declining again about 20 years later, and she underwent a third cornea transplant.
Those transplants didn't just restore her eyesight—they restored her independence. Before the transplants, reading was nearly impossible, driving came to an end and everyday activities became increasingly difficult.
Today, because of the generosity of three donors and their families, Lorene is able to live a full life.
“Because she received that gift of sight, it made her life so different, which made our quality of life better too because we have our mom,” Jan said.
Following in her mother's footsteps
Years later, Jan found herself facing a similar journey.
In 2012, Jan noticed floaters in her right eye and after seeing her optometrist, she learned that she had a torn retina. After surgery repaired the retinal tear, she underwent cataract surgery the following year. Then, in 2014, she noticed cloudiness developing in her right eye.
Her doctor diagnosed her with Fuchs' dystrophy—the same inherited condition her mother had battled years earlier. Within just two weeks of scheduling surgery, Jan lost all vision in her right eye.
“But luckily, once again through the diligent work at Eversight, and the gift of sight, I had a successful cornea transplant,” she said. "As soon as they took the bandage off, I could see immediately. It was amazing."
The difference between her mother's experience and her own also highlighted how far corneal transplantation has advanced. While Lorene's surgeries in the late 1990s required dozens of stitches, Jan's procedure used only a few.
"There's been a lot of advances in eye surgery," Jan said.
Today, both women continue regular follow-up care and remain deeply grateful for the donors who made their restored sight possible.
Experiencing the full cycle of sight
After receiving the gift of sight, the Wilson family experienced eye donation from an entirely different perspective.
In 2019, Lorene's oldest daughter and Jan's sister, Lynn, passed away after battling cancer. She had registered to be an eye, organ and tissue donor, and her corneas were recovered for vision research.
“We knew how fortunate we were to be recipients, but it was a difficult process to go through to be a donor,” Jan said. “Some of the questions were uncomfortable, but they were questions that had to be asked. When we were done, it just made me feel so thankful.”
Jan learned her sister’s corneas were sent to a research facility in Boston.
"It was really wonderful to know that there was a part of her that's helping other people, and that would make her very, very happy,” Jan said. “It made both of us feel so fortunate that Eversight takes such care when they recover the corneas.”
Few families experience eye donation from so many perspectives. Together, Lorene and Jan have lived the full cycle of sight: receiving cornea transplants, making the decision to donate a loved one's tissue for research and seeing how that research helps improve care for future patients.
"With research, we're not just helping a few people here—we're helping generations," Jan said.
For the Wilsons, the gift of sight didn’t end with a successful transplant. It became part of a larger story—one that now connects recipients, donor families, researchers and future patients.
Turning gratitude into advocacy
Those experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to giving back. For years, Lorene and Jan have volunteered with Eversight, sharing their family's story with community organizations, Lions Clubs and donor families throughout Michigan.
Early in her volunteer journey, Lorene staffed a Michigan Eye-Bank (now Eversight) information table inside a Michigan Secretary of State office, encouraging residents to register as donors. Those conversations helped raise awareness about eye donation and donor registration, contributing to broader efforts to encourage more people to register at Secretary of State offices.
"We love to talk to people about our experience," Jan said. "If we can help another person make the decision to become a donor, that's absolutely a gift." 
A testament to their storytelling is one conversation that has stayed with them for years.
After speaking at a Donate Life event in Midland, Michigan, a woman approached them saying her husband had died unexpectedly, and she had struggled with the decision to donate his corneas. After talking to their children, they decided to move forward with donation.
"I know I was supposed to come today to hear your story," the woman told them. Seeing the impact donation had on Lorene and Jan gave her peace and reassurance that her husband's gift has made a difference on others’ lives as well.
Moments like that remind the Wilsons why they continue sharing their story.
“I think a lot of people worry, and they don't want something taken away from their loved one,” Jan said. “It's such a gift to people who receive organ transplants or the gift of sight, and it's done in such a professional, caring way.”
Honoring a legacy of storytelling
After years of telling their story, volunteering at Donate Life and Eversight events, and spreading the message of donation, Jan and Lorene were recognized as Distinguished Volunteers at the Henry Ford Museum on November 15, 2025, by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter.
"It was wonderful," Lorene said simply.
For Jan, the medal they both received represented something bigger. While it recognizes decades of volunteer service, the Wilsons measure success differently.
Success is found in every person who decides to register as a donor. Every family who finds comfort in knowing their loved one's legacy lives on. Every patient whose sight is restored. It is also found in every future breakthrough made possible through research.
Nearly 30 years after Lorene received her first cornea transplant, the Wilson family continues to demonstrate how one generous decision can create a lasting ripple effect. From restored sight to research, from donor families to future recipients, their story is a reminder that the gift of sight continues long after surgery—and that one family’s gratitude can inspire countless others to leave a legacy of hope.
Explore more impact stories to see how one choice has changed countless lives.
Then, register your decision to be an eye, organ and tissue donor.